


First Impressions

by MegaWallflower



Category: Naruto
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Hospitals, Hyuuga Neji Lives, M/M, Newborn Children, Not Beta Read, Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi, Rushed, Team as Family, Trans Rock Lee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaWallflower/pseuds/MegaWallflower
Summary: Metal Lee is born.
Relationships: Gai-han | Team Guy & Hatake Kakashi, Gai-han | Team Guy & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi & Rock Lee, Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hyuuga Neji & Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji & Rock Lee & Tenten, Rock Lee & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Rock Lee & Tenten, Rock Lee & Tsunade
Comments: 7
Kudos: 141





	First Impressions

“Congrats, kid. You did it,” Tsunade said dryly, but the pride in her expression spoke for itself as she returned with the child, cleaned and calmed and all wrapped up in a pale green blanket. “A healthy baby boy.” She brought the baby over to Lee who, by then, had started to recover just enough to open one eye and crack a smile as the medic laid the swaddled bundle on his chest.

Lee’s eyebrows rose and disappeared in his bangs. A swirl of warmth built in his chest and a prickle started to press at his eyes. “He! He is…” His heart was so full of love, Lee felt like it was about to burst out of his chest as he held his tiny son in his arms for the first time. He couldn’t form a single coherent word, much less a proper sentence. He couldn’t hold back an onslaught of tears.

Neji helped his rival sit up slightly so Lee could better hold his baby and face Tsunade. “He—This—I—” Lee blubbered, stumbling over his words and looking between the baby and Tsunade and back to the baby. “I—Neji, he—Tenten, I—He!!!” Tenten met Lee’s eyes and gave him a crooked grin that seemed to say, _Oh, Lee…_

“Thank you, Lady Tsunade! That’s what Lee’s trying to say,” Tenten said in Lee’s place. Her eyes were glued on the medic, her own personal hero. “I still can’t believe you’d do this for us! Seeing you in action is always amazing! You’re the most incredible kunoichi in the world!”

Tsunade sat down at the foot of the uncomfortable hospital bed and rolled her shoulders wearily. “Well, I had to see it through.” She reached over and ruffled Lee’s hair affectionately. “It came down to the wire, but this kid pulled through like always.”

“I knew you would be the perfect person to go to, Lady Tsunade! You have always been the greatest doctor I have ever known! I—This is—I can never repay you, Lady Tsunade!” Cradling the baby carefully in his arms, Lee managed the best respectful bow he could. She’d saved his life more than once before, when no one else in the world could have. He had admired her ever since, almost as much as Tenten did.

She snickered. “Damn right, I am. Can’t say I ever expected to see this, but what can I say? All your life, you’ve never failed to amaze me, Lee. I couldn’t lose to that.”

“You do have that effect on people, Lee,” Neji praised quietly, placing a trembling hand on the baby’s chubby shoulders. “You have a big legacy to live up to, little one. But you won’t be alone to fulfill it. You have a dependable father to rely on.”

Lee’s eyes sparkled. He was tired and half-lidded, but his eyes shined as bright as ever. “N… Neji…!”

“And if you ever get annoyed of your dad, you can run to me instead. I’ll let you hide in my shop whenever you want!” Tenten added with a wink.

“Tenten!” Lee’s grin wavered with even more tears. Overcome with emotion, he smiled down at his baby before leaning his head into Neji’s shoulder. “I am so happy that our team has just grown a little bit larger…! I am happy that you two are with me, and—” As if on cue, the deafening sound of shouting and spinning wheels filled the halls.

“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE—!”

Tenten stepped out of the way as Guy burst into the room with Kakashi in tow, riding on the handlebars of his wheelchair. The chair skidded to a stop, and Kakashi leapt to his feet as Guy panted to catch his breath.

“Yo,” Kakashi greeted nonchalantly.

“We made it!” Guy declared.

Tenten rolled her eyes, Neji sighed, and Tsunade shrugged her shoulders, each with a fond smile on their face.

“Guy-sensei! You’re back!” Lee’s face lit up. In an instant, all the exhaustion in his body seemed to fall away. He and Guy grinned at each other with matching Nice Guy poses.

“Of course, Lee! I’m always here for you!” Guy brightened just as much.

“Nice of you to _finally_ join us, Lord Sixth,” Tenten teased.

Kakashi straightened up and exchanged a glance with Guy. “Maa… Don’t be like that. And please don’t call me that. It’s not my fault.” Kakashi took off his kage hat and tossed it in Tsunade’s direction. She caught it reflexively, then dropped it to the floor. “I would have been on time for once in my life, if someone hadn’t pushed this awful job on me when I was supposed to retire.”

“Every day, I miss it less and less! Thanks for finally taking over for me, sucker,” Tsunade answered.

Kakashi groaned. “You could have at least sent Guy to come kidnap me a little sooner.”

“No one sent me!” Guy cut in, with his signature dramatics. “I just knew you’d want to be here, too! I came for you the second the little guy was introduced into the world! I couldn’t leave Lee’s side until then! There’s nothing in the world that could have made me leave this room until then! But what’s important now is…” Tears of pride welled up in Guy’s eyes. “We’re grandparents now!”

Kakashi blinked in surprise. “Grandparents? ‘We’?” He figured Guy would think of himself as that, but Kakashi?

“Yes! You are!” Lee exclaimed, nodding so much, it was a wonder he didn’t make himself dizzy. “I did not want to announce his name until you were back, Guy-sensei! He could not hope to have better grandfathers than you and Kakashi’s sensei!”

A lump formed in Kakashi’s throat. He was a grandpa… He wondered what Sakumo would say about that. Suddenly bashful, Kakashi cleared his throat and finally turned his attention to the new father. He watched in awe as Lee’s tears came in a new wave.

“Guy-sensei, Kakashi-sensei… You two are the closest things to parents this world has given me! So… Please meet the newest member of Team Guy and your grandson, Metal Lee!”

He was so sincere, Kakashi was at a loss for words. Guy rolled closer, and Kakashi trailed behind him silently. Nestled in the crook of Lee’s arm was the tiny newborn. Metal.

With his calloused fingers, Guy gently pulled back the soft white blankets until they parted enough to reveal Lee’s newborn son’s face to him; the warmth that blossomed inside of him at that very moment would have almost had him falling to his knees, if he wasn’t already sitting down. “Lee! He’s beautiful! He—he has your eyebrows!”

Kakashi tried not to laugh at that. It was true. Those sharp, steely eyes were completely unlike Lee’s round, baleful eyes, but the eyebrows above them were unmistakable. There was still something familiar and very Lee-like in those big, dark eyes, though. They filled with a tinge of warmth and curiosity as Metal squinted suspiciously at the people gathered around him. Atop the child's head sat a little mop of silky black locks— the same tone and sheen as Lee’s and Guy’s, but a little messier. Lee kissed his son’s downy soft head. He balled his tiny hands into fists. It reminded Kakashi of the first time he met the plucky boy who Metal was lucky enough to call his dad. How many years had it been since Kakashi and Guy first saw that stubborn little hotblooded loser in the schoolyard?

Kakashi wasn't aware of the wet streaks of tears rolling down his own cheeks until he felt Guy’s warm hand reach up, brushing away the offending tears and cupping his masked cheek with a palm. He pressed his face into it, cherishing the touch of his rival.

“Look at what a sentimental old grandpa you’re turning out to be already!” Guy said, and Kakashi couldn’t tell if he was praising him or just poking fun.

For a moment, Kakashi thought that Guy was going to taunt him more about it, but the beast only had eyes for Metal, reaching out to take him from Lee. He grinned at the baby, and though Kakashi wasn’t sure Metal recognized his soon-to-be-favorite grandfather yet, he already seemed perfectly happy to be in his arms.

Guy already had some experience holding babies from all the time he’d been spending with Kurenai and Mirai. Even though Shikamaru and Hinata had been the people who held onto her the most, every one of Kurenai’s friends were put on babysitting duty now and then. Even Kakashi, sometimes, though he didn't really pay it any mind. He'd just have one arm holding tiny baby Mirai while he conducted other business with his free hand and went about his day.

Holding someone who was practically his own flesh and blood, though... It instantly felt different for Guy. Metal Lee. His own _grandson_. As he cradled Metal in his arms, his chest felt heavy and strangely warm. Lee’s child blinked up at him and stared up, cooing and gurgling up at the giant human that was holding him up. Even with Guy’s boisterous demeanor and the way Kakashi loomed above him, Lee’s child didn't seem bothered in the least bit as they looked down at him.

Reaching out so slowly and gently that it seemed like he expected Metal to shatter under a bit more force, Guy ran the back of his index finger along Metal’s soft, chubby cheek. He let out a small hum of approval when the little child grabbed for his finger with his tiny fist. Guy was instantly entranced by the baby, sticking his finger in his flailing little fist and letting him grip it as tightly as he could, with all the strength he could muster. “Lee! He’s so strong! He’s definitely yours! I’m impressed! He’ll be a powerful shinobi in no time, just like his papa! I can already picture the day I’ll lose to him in a fight!”

“You’re such a sap about things like this, he could probably beat you today,” Kakashi quipped. Tenten and Neji laughed, while Lee leapt to Guy’s defense, and Metal just squinted between them all in bemusement.

Tsunade stood up and took a step back to take in the scene. Team Guy and their honorary tagalong Kakashi, huddled around a newborn wrapped in a blanket, all radiating love and happiness. She still remembered the first day she’d met Lee in this same room, alone and miserable, broken and beaten down, but refusing to compromise or give up, even with the entire deck stacked against him.

Usually, Tsunade’s gambles worked out terribly. But they had been exactly right to go for broke and try the surgery. Even when the chips were down, all bets were off on that kid. Maybe the little victories and spots of hope like this were why she didn’t give up, in the end.

“You made it, Lee. Nice job.”


End file.
